Happy Birthday!

Street food in Britain used to be something that just happened over the summer. You couldn’t do it all year round. You couldn’t make a living at it. That’s changed. In part, that change has come about because of Trinity Kitchen. And it’s a year old today. Trinity Kitchen (‘Kitchen’ as it’s affectionately known) has changed the face of food retail forever. That’s a big claim. But the truth. At British Street Food we have been approached by large organisations round the world who want to “mimic its success”. Copy it. And it’s easy to understand why — Trinity Kitchen makes food courts look old-fashioned and staid. That’s because it’s constantly evolving, with new traders coming in every month. Which gives customers an excuse to come back. The traders are real, and have the passion, the involvement, that comes from running one-person operated businesses. They have Facebook pages and twitter accounts, and engage very directly with the people they are serving. When we first discussed the Trinity Kitchen concept with Land Securities, way back when, it sounded like madness. Lifting vans, trucks and trailers onto the first floor of a brand new retail development? On a Sunday? But it’s been a bigger success than anyone could ever have imagined. Only one trader that we know of had a miserable time. Get me drunk and I’ll tell you who. Everyone else has loved it, and made money. Regular money, over a 7-days-a-week period. Which is a change for a street food trader. Rola Wala enjoyed it so much they’ve chosen Trinity Kitchen for their first permanent restaurant. Thank you Kitchen (I love the place, so I’m allowed to use the abbreviation) for helping street food to evolve, and allowing the best traders in Britain — who have come through the British Street Food system — a respite from the winter storms or some shade from the summer sun. You’re a game changer.